Trouble With the Reconfiguratron
by Violet Heaslip
Summary: After the Cybersquad defeats Hacker again, they fall unexpectedly into the hands of an unlikely villain. There is some slight Matt/Inez, but I wouldn't say it's all that much. Just a teeny bit.
1. Hacker Fixes the Reconfiguratron

_**Trouble With the Reconfiguratron**_

_The Northern Frontier_

"_What!_ You mean all hope for my plan to destroy Motherboard and become the ruler all of Cyberspace to is LOST!" The Hacker roars in the faces of his two henchmen.

"Yes, boss," Delete nervously eeks out.

"WELL, THEN GET BACK TO WORK ON THE RECONFIGURATRON AND IT WON'T! NOW!" The duncebuckets scramble away from the presence of the enraged tyrant.

_Control Central_

At Control Central, there is complete silence in Motherboard's central room, except for the click clack of checker pieces. "Checkmate," Digit smirks as he corners Jackie's black piece in a game over position.

"I think that term refers to chess, Didge," Matt corrects. He is sitting next to Inez on the floor, watching Jackie and Digit play checkers.

"Good game, Digit," Jackie has a friendly smile as she holds out her hand for a wing shake. Digit shakes her hand as she gets up from her seat.

"I told you I could beat anybody," gloats Digit.

"Beats me, you sure could." Jackie giggles.

"Oh, yeah, try _me_!" challenges Matt as he seats himself in the opposing chair. Jackie takes the place he left next to Inez as Digit and Matt go heads up. "Go Digit!" Jackie cheers.

As Matt takes Digit's last two pieces, he jumps up. "I won! I won!" he cries.

"Aww..." Digit looks a little disappointed.

"It's okay, Digit, you can still beat me," comforts Jackie, glaring at Matt's ecstasy.

"What?" he shrugs.

Inez stands up. "Oh yeah, bet _I_ could beat you," she teases as she pokes at Matt.

"No way!" he retorts.

"Move aside, Didgster, I got this one." She sits down in Digit's seat and plays Matt. They continue their furious battle until it concludes with Inez the champion. Inez watches Matt's frustrated expression with a taunting grin.

"I demand a rematch!" he snaps.

"Okay, _Matthew_, you get your rematch," she teases as she sets up the board.

Inez wins again.

"That's totally unfair! Two games in a row! _Two!_ I can't believe this!" Matt yells as he slams his fist on the table. He turns to the audience. "Nezzie beat me twice in a row!" He glances back at Inez who gives him a death glare.

"DON'T CALL-!" He realizes what he just said.

"Sorry!" he quickly replies. Her glare softens a bit.

_The Northern Frontier_

Buzz and Delete burst into Hacker's office. "We got the Reconfigurabop thingy working, boss!" they both shout excitedly.

"Perfect," The Hacker says with an evil grin. "Now nothing can stand in the way of my conquest of Cyberspace!" He laughs maniacally.

_**Author's Note:**_ Click "Next" to see the next chapter! And don't forget to REVIEW when you're done!


	2. The Cybersquad Has to Save the Day

_Control Central_

"That's like four games straight! No fair!" Matt protests. His frustration is growing as Inez continually beats him at checkers.

"Five," she adds with a smug grin.

"Ugh! I can't take this anymore!"

"You forfeit?"

Matt gives her a puzzled glance.

"You give up?" she repeats.

"Yes," he sighs.

"I am officially crowned checkers champion!" she cheers with a victorious smile. Jackie applauds. Matt looks a little irritated.

"Don't be a sore loser, Matty," says Digit.

"I'm not!"

Suddenly, the Grim Wreaker passes overhead.

"Hacker?" confused shouts from all three Earth kids.

"Tata, Motherboard!" he proclaims as he pulls the lever on the Reconfiguratron. Suddenly Control Central is erased and Cybersquad is left floating in Cyberspace.

"Motherboard!" Digit cries.

"Oh no," Jackie begins to panic. "No, not Motherboard! This _cannot_ be happening!"

"It is," Matt replies, "and get a hold of yourself." Jackie looks a little shocked.

"What did you just say to me?"

Matt did not mean to be so harsh, but he was still upset that he lost to Inez at checkers.

"I'm sorry, Jackie," he responds.

"Everybody, stop!" Inez hollers. "We need to think of a plan."

"Like what?" wonders Digit. They were all stumped.

"We're floating in the middle of Cyberspace with Motherboard erased and Hacker on the loose!" exclaims Jackie.

"What are we going to do?" Matt ponders.

The Cybersquad members are all floating away from each other, when Matt, still an arm's reach away from Inez, grabs her wrist slightly.

"Hey!" she protests.

"Well I can't let you just float away," comes his excuse.

"Hm!"

"Guys, guys! This is no time to argue!" Jackie reprimands, now a little more composed.

"Sorry," Matt apologizes as he pulls Inez a little further in his direction.

"Digit, can you _please _fly us somewhere where we aren't floating around like this? I'm starting to get a headache," Inez gripes.

"No problemo, Earthlies, I gotcha." Digit helicopters to each of them and they grab onto both his feet. He pilots them to the nearest cybersite, Radopolis.

_Radopolis_

At Slider's garage, he is working on some kind of skateboard when the Cybersquad arrives.

"Couldn't you have thought of a better plan?" Matt complains to Inez, still holding onto her wrist as they approach Slider's garage.

"No," she replies simply.

"Hey guys, what's up?" greets Slider.

"Hacker erased Control Central and Motherboard!" Jackie answers.

"He's got his Reconfigurabop thingy goin' again!" exclaims Digit. "If we don't stop him, all of Cyberspace will be scrambled data!"

Slider's warm smile turns upside down. "Oh no!"

"We've got to do something!" says Inez worriedly as she pulls out of Matt's grasp.

"Hey!"

"Well, let's stop him, then!" Slider replies as he puts down a screwdriver. "You can all have a ride in my Cybercoupe."

"That's very kind of you, Sli," Inez compliments, blushing a little.

"Oh please," Matt mutters under his breath.

Matt and Slider hop into Slider's coupe, while Jackie and Inez argue over the passenger seat.

"I get to sit in front," says Jackie as she hops in.

"No, me first!" argues Inez. She pulls Jackie out and gets in herself.

"Okay, heads or tails?" Jackie pulls out a coin and flips it.

"Tails," Inez replies. It lands on tails.

"Hey! You saw it before you said tails, cheater! That means I get the front seat!" Jackie protests.

"No I didn't!"

"Guys," Digit attempts to get their attention.

"Yes you did!"

"Guys!" Digit repeats, raising his voice. "I'll take the front seat! No more arguing!" Jackie and Inez glare at each other and hesitantly scoot into the last two back seats, Matt having already been seated. Slider drives the coupe as they zoom off to chase after Hacker.

_The Grim Wreaker_

Buzz points on the screen at a small red and white object. "Another ship, boss!"

"Zoom in!" Hacker demands. Buzz zooms in to the coupe, inside which now shows all four of the Cybersquad and Slider piloting them.

"Destroy the Earthbrats!" shouts Hacker. Delete pulls the lever on the Reconfiguratron and Slider swerves to avoid the laser beam, but is too late. Slider's coupe turns to scattered ones and zeros and all the passengers begin floating away from each other. The grabber from Hacker's ship then reaches down and grabs Inez.

"Inez!" both boys shout in unison. Matt, who is nearest Inez, grabs onto her and is pulled into the Grim Wreaker along with her.

"No!" she cries as the dome shuts.

_The Grim Wreaker_

Matt and Inez are placed in a cage and Hacker turns to them. "So, you Earthbrats thought you could stop _The _Hacker, hm?"

"Yes! And we will!" Matt yells. "You just wait and see!"

"Oh, wait and see all right," the Cyborg snickers. "And since I'm the ruler of Cyberspace now that Motherboard is destroyed, you will indeed see all that I, The Hacker, will do!" he finishes with an evil cackle.

Outside, Digit is flying Jackie and Slider as fast as he can, chasing the Grim Wreaker.

"If we only had a portal," Jackie whines.

"Too bad Motherboard's down," says Digit.

_The Grim Wreaker_

Matt and Inez are holding each other slightly, still wondering what was going to happen and how they are going to get out. They both suddenly realize what they are doing and nervously step away from each other a bit.

Matt's skwak pad starts beeping. He reaches for it in his backpack, holds it out of Hacker's view, and answers the call. "Jackie," he whispers, "Hacker's got us trapped in a cage, but we're okay. By any chance, can you catch up and get us out of here?"

"We're trying," she replies, "but it's a little fast for Digit. Do you think you can stop him from in there?"

"Well, maybe," Matt answers as he takes a glance at the thin bars. "Bye for now."

"Bye," says Jackie as she hangs up.

Matt shoves the skwak back into his backpack and attempts to bend the bars enough so they can squeeze through. "No luck," he sighs in disappointment. He then turns to Inez. "Are you okay?"

"Well, I am a little hungry, but..." Matt reaches into his backpack and pulls out a granola bar. He holds it out to Inez. She smiles and takes it and sits down, opening the wrapper and beginning to munch on it. He sits down next to her, sighs, and rests his hands behind his head, leaning against the wall of the cage. Inez continues to munch on her granola bar. He eagerly eyes his snack, but lets his friend have it anyway.

"Psst!" Matt hears a whisper from behind him and turns to see Digit, Jackie, and Slider peeking from behind a wall.

"Glad you guys could make it," he whispers back.

"We're gonna get you outta here," Digit reassures him as Jackie tiptoes to the place where the cage keys lay.

"Not so fast!" Delete catches her red handed. She grabs the keys and quickly unlocks the cage. Hearing the commotion, Hacker turns around to see Jackie freeing Matt and Inez. "Don't just stand there! Get them, you duncebuckets!" he commands Buzz and Delete. They run to grab the Earth kids but run into each other and topple to the ground, one on top of the other. "Arrrgh!" Hacker growls angrily. Suddenly a cage falls on Hacker, Buzz, and Delete. Above it hovered Digit, and Slider slams the cage door on them. "Nooooooo!" the furious Cyborg cries as he bangs on the cage's door.

"So long, Hacker," says Slider. "Let's pilot this thing back to-"

"Wait! What about Motherboard?" interjects Inez.

"Right!" Slider remembers. Jackie walks up to a window and looks out. "Motherboard! Guys, Control Central is back!" she jumps up and down excitedly.

"How can that be?" wonders Inez as she also looks out the window at Control Central, normal, as if it had never been deleted.

_Control Central_

Dr. Marbles is lying on the floor, exhausted and panting heavily.

"I came as soon as I could," he tells Motherboard. "I would have traveled by portal but there weren't any because your systems were shut down."

"Do not worry, Dr. Marbles," consoles Motherboard. "Thank you for resetting my data."

The Cybersquad and Slider burst into the room.

"Motherboard! You're all right!" exclaims Jackie.

"Yes, all thanks to Dr. Marbles. He had to reset all my data, but I am fine. However, I do not remember anything that happened since then. Could you all fill me in?"

"Sure, Motherboard," Inez replies. They begin to tell her everything that happened after her data was erased.

**_Author's Note:_** Please review this story as it is my first and only so far. Thank you! Don't forget the next chapter!


	3. The Hack Is Back!

_The Grim Wreaker_

"Clip faster, you dimwitted duncebuckets!" the Hacker rushes his two assistants.

"We're trying, boss!" Buzz replies.

"Yeah, these bars are really thick, aren't they, Buzzy?" Delete chatters to his best buddy.

"Well, try harder!" The Hacker demands.

_Control Central_

"See ya Motherboard," Jackie waves.

"We gotta finish off the Hacker," says Digit.

As they walk out to the Grim Wreaker, without warning, it takes off, leaving the Cybersquad and Slider standing in shock.

"Oh no!" Matt exclaims.

"Let's go get a cybercoupe," Slider suggests.

"Sounds like a good idea," comments Inez. Matt glares in jealousy at Slider and Inez as they smile at each other. He drags his feet behind them on the way to one of Motherboard's spare cybercoupes. Digit quickly takes the passenger's seat as Slider takes the driver's. The four kids and Cyboid fly after Hacker and the Reconfiguratron.

"I'm flying low so he can't detect us on radar," Slider informs his crew.

"Good thinking, Sli," Jackie compliments the pilot while Matt rolls his eyes. Inez notices him and gives him an elbow jab. He yelps a little.

"Ow! What was that for?" he complains as he watches Inez's silent grin. He sighs and stares at the floor.

The Grim Wreaker stayed right ahead of their coupe.

"Radopolis, dead ahead!" Digit hollers with a little fear in his tone.

"Radopolis?" wonders Jackie. "Hacker is headed for Radopolis?"

"Looks like it," Slider notes, "and whatever he's doing there can't be good."

"Too true," adds Digit, "we have to stop him."

"But we don't even know what he's gonna do yet!" Matt objects. "Where are we supposed to start?"

Everyone pauses in thought.

"Maybe we should just get into the Wreaker first and take it from there," suggests Inez.

"No way! We need a plan!" Jackie argues. "There is not a chance I'll risk getting stuck up there!"

Slider slows the coupe.

"On second thought, we better do something and do it fast!" Digit panics while Hacker turns all of Radopolis into scrambled data.

"No!" Jackie and Slider moan at the same time. "This can't happen!" she buries her face in her hands. Matt looks a little shocked, then extremely bored.

"Shouldn't we be doing something instead of just standing around?"

"Matt's right, guys," Inez answers, "let's go stop Hacker." Matt looks at Inez dreamily, then quickly shakes his head to clear his mind.

"We're going to need someone to get up in there first..." Digit plans. Everyone turns to him.

"Why is everyone staring at me?" he questions nervously.

_The Grim Wreaker_

While Hacker is distracted, Digit sneaks into the control room through a window and pulls the reverse lever on the Reconfiguratron. He aims the laser at the spot Radopolis used to be and fires. The cybersite reappears, and Digit jumps up and shouts "Hooray!" The Hacker turns around and catches Digit hammering the machine into pieces with his chisel-shaped beak. "Wuh-oh," says Digit.

"Get that tinwitted cyberturkey off my machine!" Hacker picks up a laser gun and zaps Digit. The cyboid suddenly freezes and Buzz and Delete haul him into a cage. "My reconfiguratron!" he moans as he examines the scattered pieces of the machine. "Those _Earthbrats_ will pay for this!"

_The Cybercoupe_

Outside, Matt is whistling a tune.

"Will you cut it out?" Inez complains.

"Sorry." He pauses. After a few seconds, he begins again.

"Matthew, I said 'cut it out!', now QUIT IT!"

"Oops." His whistling slows, then comes to a complete halt.

_The Grim Wreaker_

"I demand you let me out this instant, Hacker!" Digit cries, now unfrozen.

"It's _The _Hacker, to you, cyberturkey!"

Digit reaches into his chest hatch and pulls out his little buddy Widget. "Could you tell the Earthlings Hacker's got me trapped in here?" he asks.

"No problem, Didge, I'm on it!" The little cybird flies through the bars and out the window.

_The Cybercoupe_

"What's taking him so long?" Matt wonders.

"I don't know," Inez replies, "he should have been back here by now."

"Maybe he's trapped!" worries Jackie. "Poor Digit! We have to get up there and save him!"

"Digit, trapped? Yeah right." scoffs Matt.

"Hold your horses, Jax, he'll be back," Inez reassures her best friend. Widget taps on Jackie's window.

"Slider, it's Widget!" she cries. Slider rolls down the window halfway to let him inside.

"Earthlies! Hacker's got Didge!"

They all gasp.

"We have to save Digit!" Jackie determines.

"No you don't!" Everyone turns to see Digit hovering ahead of the coupe.

"Digit!" The Earth kids gasp. Slider opens the passenger door and Digit seats himself.

"How did you get out?" Jackie inquires.

"All-purpose beak, Jax, all-purpose beak!" he smiles.

"You're amazing, Digit," she giggles.

"What about Hacker?" worries Inez.

"Well, I destroyed the Reconfigura-thingy so no more erasing Cyberspace," he replies. "However, I didn't really get around to containin' him. Sorry guys."

"Don't worry about it, Digit," Inez waves off his apology.

"We'll get him eventually," Matt adds.

"Hey Slider, would you be up for some checkers when we get back to Control Central?" Inez asks the teen borg.

"Sure," he readily agrees. Matt rolls his eyes while Inez grins.

**_Author's Note:_** Please review this story as it is my first and only so far. Thank you! And again, the next chapter awaits!


	4. The Blaster 5000

_Control Central_

Playing checkers back at Control Central, the Cybersquad is taking a rest from their Cyberspace guard duty. Matt is sitting on the floor again, sulking as Inez and Jackie take turns playing Slider.

"I've gotta go now, guys," he stands, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "I, well, need a break from all this." Inez notes his lame excuse.

"Wait, Matt, why are you leaving?" She stands up from her seat and steps toward him a little. He pauses in his stride toward Motherboard's computer interface to turn and face Inez.

"Well, I don't know, it's just-"

"Really, why?" she adds.

"I'm just, I mean, I..." he trails off, taking a second thought if whether he should maybe tell her the truth instead of fumbling for a lie.

"I'm just tired," he decides, wincing mentally at his response, clearly not well thought through. He turns to the keyboard, tapping a few buttons. A bright, purple portal appears.

"Okay, Matt, just..." she can't seem to find anything to reply as he disappears into the swirl of purple.

_Matt's House_

Back in his own room on Earth, Matt plops onto the bed and lets out a heavy sigh. He turns to his side and faces the digital clock on the nightstand, watching the minutes tick off.

_Elsewhere_

Somewhere within the realm of Cyberspace is Ledge, a villain of Cyberspace who once tried to work for The Hacker. Hacker, thinking Ledge was useless at his first vain attempt to defeat the Cybersquad [see the episode "Hackerized!"], forewent the opportunity, though in my opinion Ledge is both dastardly and clever. He is making the finishing touches on an enormous ship similar to the Grim Wreaker, known as the Blaster 5000.

"Just two more aluminum posts and this baby'll be up and runnin'," he chuckles to himself as he solders a metal post to the frame of the ship.

_Control Central_

At Control Central, the two girls and Slider continue their checkers playing, obviously engrossed and oblivious to their surroundings, when the Blaster 5000 passes overhead. Inside the ship, Ledge is tapping buttons on the computer interface. He zooms in to the others in Control Central. Two Earth kids and a teen Cyborg appear on the screen.

_"Where's that other kid?"_ he wonders. _"And the little turkey?" _There is no sign of either Matt or Digit. _"Oh well,"_ he brushes the thought aside and hits a big red button with his fist. Instantly, the three kids appear in a cage within his ship.

_The Blaster 5000_

"Where are we?" wonders Inez.

"And what happened to our game?" adds Jackie.

"We're in a cage," Slider notes. "This is all Hacker's doing."

"Don't give him the credit that easily," a familiar voice rings from the doorway.

"Ledge?" Inez guesses.

"Yes, that's me," he replies, stepping out of the shadows.

"What do you want, Ledge?" Inez questions, her voice now full of anger.

"I want all of you," he replies. "And as soon as I find both the red head and your pal the Cyberturkey, I'll have just that," he finishes with a vicious smirk.

"You'll never find them!" she retorts, her impatience increasing as he reveals his plot.

"I will eventually," he replies calmly.

"We'll see," she challenges. Ledge, a conceited smirk still leaving its mark on his face, exits the room.

_Control Central_

Digit, unaware of anything that had happened, strolls back into the main room at Control Central. "Where did everybody go?" he thinks aloud. Glancing at Motherboard's main screen, he notices she is temporarily blacked out. "Motherboard!" he cries. "Oh no!"

_The Blaster 5000_

"There's that Cyberturkey!" Ledge exclaims. He hits the big red button once more and Digit meets up with the others in their captured state.

"There you guys are! I was wondering where you all went." Digit suddenly notices his surroundings, other than his fellow captors. "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure where we are, but Ledge captured us and heaven knows what will become of us!" Jackie panics. "What do we do?"

"Chill, Jackie, chill," consoles Inez. "We still might have a chance."

"How?" Jackie questions.

**_Author's Note:_** Please review this story as it is my first and only so far. Thank you! The next chapter is short but it awaits!


	5. What Does He Do?

Still in his own little world on Earth, Matt is sitting up in bed reading a book when Motherboard's figure flashes on his computer screen. "Jackie, Slider, Inez, and Dig- -trapped in Ledge's new ship, the Bl- -thousand. Hurry!" she stutters as static continually buzzes on her screen. A portal appears in front of the computer desk.

"Trapped? Hurry! Whoa!" Matt is vacuumed toward the portal. He drops the book on the bed and grabs a strap of his red-orange backpack which sits beside it. He falls out of the portal onto his stomach, his backpack tumbling out after and pinning him to the ground.

"Boy, I didn't realize this thing was so heavy," he says with a grunt of effort as he picks himself and his cargo up off the control room floor. He turns to Motherboard's main screen.

"Matthew! Ledge has captured Jackie, Slider, Inez and Digit into the Blaster 5000! You must go- -them!" Motherboard instructs.

"How?" questions the boy, a little unsure of how he would handle this predicament.

"Get inside the ship- -the cage is locked with a password- -crack the password before-" Motherboard cuts out again due to heavy static.

"Before what?" slight impatience rings in his tone. Motherboard did not answer. She was having another temporary blackout.

_"What do I do? How do I save them?"_ The thoughts that crossed his mind were unbearable. He needed to save Inez. He needed help. He needed it now, and he needed it fast.

What should he do?

_The Grim Wreaker_

Hacker, still a little shaken from his prior defeat at the hands of the Cybersquad, is sitting in his recharger chair, repeatedly clicking a red pen in one hand, and staring blankly at the computer screen. Buzz and Delete behind him are playing a videogame hooked up to the television.

"I'm gonna win!" Buzz excitedly yells.

"No you're not!" Delete taunts back.

Suddenly Ledge appears on the computer screen facing the Hacker.

"Ledge?" he gasps in disbelief.

"Hey, Hacker." The Hacker looks a little miffed that he missed the first word in his name.

"It's THE Hacker, to you!"

"Yeah, whatever. Listen, I have the Cybersquad here in the Blaster 5000." The screen switches to the entrance of the cage, showing Jackie pacing back and forth, Digit digging a wing into his chest hatch, Slider sitting on the cage floor seemingly deep in thought, and Inez gripping the bars of the cage with both hands, staring angrily at the door through which Ledge entered. The screen switches back to Ledge.

The Hacker is mystified. "How did-!"

"I have my ways," he replies, a smile of arrogance crossing his expression.

The Hacker frowns. "I see a flaw in your 'brilliant' plan," Hacker pauses, fishing for a response from the opposing genius. Ledge just stares at him blankly.

"You missed an Earthbrat!" he finishes.

As the realization hits Ledge, his smile turns to a frown. "Well, you see, I... trapped that one in a different cage."

"Of course," Hacker scoffs, knowing it was a lie.

"Anyway, I'm here to make you a deal," Ledge continues, still feeling a sting from his ingenious drawback. Hacker appears unimpressed.

"I'm not making any deals with you until you have the other Earthbrat." Hacker cuts off the communication with Ledge and glares at the now blank screen.

**_Author's Note:_** Okay, as you see, for those of you who read this chapter before I just updated it, I added some more to it. Please continue to review and I'll come back with the next chapter ASAP!


	6. Carolyn?

_Control Central_

Matt leans against the control panel, spinning a yellow yoyo in his right hand. He was still wondering how he was going to rescue his helpless friends from the clutches of the enemy. "Well maybe I can just get into the ship, and..." he thinks aloud, vainly attempting to figure out what to do. "Well, how do I get into the ship?"

Matt suddenly notices a teen girl standing in the corner of Control Central. She is staring out the window at Ledge's ship. She doesn't seem to know Matt is there, until he speaks up. "Who are you?"

She looks over and smiles. "Hello. I'm Carolyn. What's Ledge doing at Control Central?"

Matt's yoyo hits the ground and rolls away from him a few feet. "Um..."

"I figured. Okay, we'll need a way to get up there first—"

"Wait wait wait! What are you talking about? I mean, where did you— how did— I mean—"

"Forget it, let's just go, and, save your friends."

"But how did you know?" The words seem to fall.

The girl almost seemed... arrogant. "I have my ways."

Matt stares at her dumbfoundedly and his eyes scoot from her, sideways and back.

"I have an idea, Matt." She whispers the plan in his ear. "Think that's gonna work?"

"Matt?" he questions the supposed stranger who just called him by name.

"Let's try it."

"Uh, ohhhhhkayyyy..." He rubs the back of his neck cautiously.

"Well, you got anything better?"

"Um, not really..."

"Well then we better get started!" She marches confidently yet despisingly into the next room.

"Huh." Matt follows, leaving all traces of enthusiasm behind. He enters the room full of assorted Cybercoupes and approaches the foremost ship.

"Are you coming or what?" the girl calls to him condescendingly from the driver's seat.

Matt pulls open the passenger door. "Wait a second; who said you get to drive?" He plops into the passenger seat. Carolyn just shrugs and smiles in that know-it-all way. Matt blows a small puff of air at the dashboard and slams the coupe door shut. The engine revs and the coupe soars toward the monster ship. "So how exactly are we going to get inside this... thing?"

"Well, you'll soon find out, won't you?"

"Uh, aren't you going to tell me?"

The girl smirks. "I have a remote device that will open any doors with different radio signals. That would include this door right here." Before them lay a massive door that would grant them entrance to the inside of the Blaster 5000 if they could break through it. She produces a small handheld object that resembles a garage door opener and presses the only button visible on the surface. Without delay, the door vanishes, leaving the way into the ship completely bare. Carolyn pulls the cybercoupe close to the entryway, letting the nose barely rest on the opening. She opens the door, climbs onto the roof of the coupe, and crawls into the Blaster 5000, while Matt tries the same thing and tags along unsteadily.

They continue through the corridor until the path turns sharply to the right and they walk almost into the corner, or at least Matt did, as the lighting for the ship wasn't the best. Strolling along, Matt sees a brighter room and pulls Carolyn into it almost without thought. Loud repetitive beeping follows.

"What on earth did you do that for?" scolds Carolyn, pulling her arm out of Matt's death grip. Matt gives no reply as all attention is now focused on an angry Ledge, now standing over them. The beeping halts.

"What are you doing in my ship?" The comment was apparently directed at Carolyn.

"Getting back at you for how you treated me."

"I don't know what you're talking about! You're the one that started it!" Ledge retorts.

"Yeah and now you're starting to act like a baby."

Matt is starting to get puzzled at the two arguing back and forth. Seeing his advantage, he slips away back into the corridor and ends up walking right into the room where his friends sit caged.

"Inez!" The only word that seemed to follow the shocking discovery.

"Um, yes, and me, AND Slider, AND Digit." Jackie responds. "Are you okay?"

Matt looked like he was about to faint. "I'm," he takes a deep breath, "fine. Let's just get you out of here." He stumbles over to the cage door and realizes he has no way of cracking the password. "Oh great."

"Need something?" Matt recognizes Carolyn's sugar-sweet voice behind him and twirls around to see her leaning against the doorpost and carelessly waving the door-opening remote in the air.

"Where's Ledge?" he inquires.

"Ah my beau's all taken care of."

"Pardon?"

"Nothing." She points the remote at the cage and fires. Immediately the forward cage wall vanishes.

"Cool!" exclaims Slider.

"Matt! You saved us!" Inez runs to him and embraces him. Matt couldn't have blushed redder.

"Um, it was mostly..." he mumbles nervously.

The loud beeping resumes. "We have to get out of here quickly!" yells Matt, brushing all stray thoughts aside and dragging everyone back through the hallway and into the cybercoupe. They all pile in when suddenly Matt notices that in all the ruckus Carolyn seemed to disappear. "Where's..."

"She'll be back, I know it." Inez answers the unspoken question which cheers Matt up a bit. He smiles and happily drives the coupe back to Control Central.

**_Author's Note:_** Thank my sister for the character Carolyn, her own creation, and also the only character so far in this story that I own. I will be publishing some of my sister's works soon. And don't worry, the story's not over yet! Soon more to come! For the people that reviewed, thank you very much, for your praise just makes my day (every time I read your reviews)! And, as always, a good review is appreciated. Please review!


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